Guest Speaker: Dr. Masaru Yarime January 21, 3-4PM, Patterson Office Tower Rm. 420
Dr. Masaru Yarime from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology will be giving a guest lecture on January 21st, 3-4PM in Patterson Office Tower Room 420.
Title: Data Governance for Smart Cities in Japan
Abstract: Smart cities are emerging as major engines for deploying intelligent systems to enhance urban development and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cities across the world have introduced policy objectives to pursue smart city development and use technologies and innovation to address societal challenges and enhance sustainable development. As a variety of data are increasingly available through sophisticated devices and equipment in infrastructure, housing, and transportation, innovation based on data has great potential in addressing urban sustainability issues, such as climate change, population aging, and the circular economy. Japan has been particularly keen to promote data-driven innovation in smart cities to tackle pressing sustainability challenges the country currently faces, such as transforming the energy system, providing inclusive services to the aging and declining population, and strengthening resilience to natural disasters, under the concept of Society 5.0, in which physical space and cyberspace are merged by leveraging information and communication technologies. This talk will discuss the current situation and opportunities and challenges in this field, drawing upon past and current research, and fieldwork in the country on specific smart city projects like the Kashiwanoha smart city, and discuss the implications for research and policy. The research is partly supported by the SSRC Abe Fellows Network Collaborative Grant awarded to Dr Masaru Yarime as team lead and including Dr Yujia He (University of Kentucky) and Dr Tomoyo Sasao (Reitaku University) as team members.
Bio: Masaru YARIME is an Associate Professor in the Division of Public Policy (PPOL) and the Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR) at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). He also served as the Director of the MPhil and PhD Programs in Public Policy at HKUST until 2024. He also has appointments as Visiting Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP) at the University of Tokyo and Honorary Associate Professor at the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) at University College London.
His research interests focus on public policy, corporate strategy, and institutional design for promoting science, technology, and innovation for sustainability. For the past years, he has been engaged in research and educational activities from interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives, with an intention to understand the complex interface between engineering and social sciences and the dynamic interactions between technology and institutions in creating sustainability innovation. He is particularly interested in exploring the structure, functions, and evolution of knowledge systems involving various stakeholders in society. He has many experiences of cooperation and collaboration with key stakeholders in academia, industry, government, and civil society in Japan, Europe, and North America as well as in emerging countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, which has been contributing to analyzing and implementing innovations addressing multifaceted, inter-dependent sustainability challenges.